Farewell

Farewell to Math class - but not to learning!

This past week I have been able to reflect on all I have learned throughout this 6 weeks in my math course. I am already lesson planning for my grade 8 students in Math, Science and Religion. I am no longer hesitant in jumping in and getting the students excited about mathematics, thankfully to this course.

Math is EVERYWHERE. In what you read, watch, listen to, eat, etc. As a teacher candidate this course has taught me to accept that and to, instead of run from it, embrace it and know that anyone and everyone is a math person. 

I think growth mindset is one of the most important things I have taken away from this course. I have learned that my brain, specifically my math brain, is always working and always one step closer to problem solving. I am no longer afraid of math and intimidated by word problems and equations. I am no longer intimidated by manipulatives, measurement and fractions. Most importantly I am no longer intimidated by group work. It was this course that made me comfortable and open to working with other people, through participating in the webinars both as an attendee and the teacher, in order to get to the end goal.

Every week the mindset modules taught us how important your own mindset is and the role it plays in learning math. Without a positive mindset, without being okay with making mistakes, without acknowledging that every single person is a math person, one will not be able to succeed. 

If you haven't been following my blog, or haven't been able to take part in the weekly online modules feel free to click on the link below to understand that everyone is indeed a math person!

http://www.matific.com/us/en-us/blog/2016/04/21/everyone-is-a-math-person/

If you are one who always believes what they read, read away! (You should believe what these links share with you - because they're true!)

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/well/family/trying-to-add-up-girls-and-math.html

https://www.wired.com/2015/05/im-just-not-math-person/

Remember, you are a math person, everyone is. Remember that you are capable of learning math, teaching math and succeeding at math. 

Stay amazing, continue to practice math, make your brain grow, make mistakes, learn from them, and have an amazing rest of the school year!

Emily

Math Games Galore! Strategies and Resources for Keeping Students Engaged in Mathematics

Teaching Strategies

This week my partner Paul and I presented our Webinar on Teaching Strategies to keep students engaged and excited about mathematics. Our main focus, although not our only one, was the use of gamification within math classes. We chose this to be our main focus because of how beneficial it has shown to be in classes when used in math class, on break or as a 'math reward' to students. 

** If the school you are teaching in does not have devices for all students do not worry! I have provided some alternate strategies below that you could bring into your classrooms without the use of devices! :)

What is gamification?

Paul and I felt that using gamification as a strategy in the classroom would benefit students and help them to feel more comfortable with mathematics. Students normally have devices attached to them by the hip and feel confident using them, add math and VOILA! 

Follow the link below to read some more information on why gamification can benefit your children and students! 

https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/learning-at-home/games-skillbuilders/how-games-can-help-kids-who-struggle-with-math

Before getting into the WHY students should use the strategies Paul and I presented on, first we needed to identify the WHY students experience trouble with mathematics. 

Have you experienced any of these? Any additional? What experiences have you had with mathematics and why do you think that happened?

Lack of Focus: Students may have a hard time focusing on a problem  that has more than one step, a large number of pieces of information at once, etc.

No Confidence: A lot of students, my younger self included, have no confidence when it comes to mathematics and believe that they are not a "math person". This all stems from students' experiences and their mindset going into mathematics. As educators, it is our job to show students that every person is able to succeed at mathematics.

Not Relatable: As someone who has been in school for over 20 years, I know that I found it very difficult to work on something that did not interest me or could not be related to my own life. As educators we should try to relate math problems to the students in our classrooms. Change names in problems, change sports teams, relate it to current events, bring math into cooking snacks or baked goods, bring math into their physical education periods, bring math into the arts. By tying mathematics with other subjects across the entire curriculum all students will have a chance at relating to mathematics in their own special way. This will help them to enjoy mathematics, knowing it can be relatable after all.

Educator's Approach: Students look up to teachers, I know I did and I know that my amazing teachers play a crucial role in me wanting to be a teacher. Their approaches can also be passed down in a way. When I learned as a student it was done through notes on the chalkboard, overhead projector or the textbook for that specific subject. Fast forward many years later and I was introduced to new ways of teaching that keeps students engaged and excited to learn. Teachers need to find new ways at teaching their students to keep them excited. Everyone gets tired of the same routine and this will lead to them looking at mathematics negatively when the educators way of teaching is actually the problem.


Feel free to follow the activity below and share in the comments your reflections, thoughts or questions! Have Fun!

Emily

I Like My Math Tasks As Rich As I Like My Chocolate

What is a RICH TASK?

This week in the Mathematics course teacher candidates learned what makes a task rich and what does not. We were taken through a variety of tasks that we had to identify as either rich or not. This activity was eye-opening for me as a teacher candidate because I can now identify what tasks I should be bringing into the classrooms and which ones are better left out.

This link provides examples of rich tasks ranging from elementary up until and including high school years mathematics:

https://nzmaths.co.nz/rich-learning-activities

**Feel free to comment below to let me know how you found these tasks and what your thoughts on them are!

As a future educator it is very important for myself, and my fellow candidates alike, to be able to bring rich tasks into the classroom. Of course students should be taught the basics of math, so they can succeed at rich tasks, but they also should be given tasks that challenge them and at the same time open them up to new ways of thinking. 

Rich tasks are engaging to students and most importantly EVERY STUDENT CAN MAKE A START. Think back to your educational career. Was there any class or anytime where you felt overwhelmed or stuck, before even starting? This is so common for students, especially when it comes to mathematics because of their negative experiences with the subject. Rich tasks provide all students, at every level, to start. Starting is the most important part. It give students confidence that they can continue on with the task.

Please feel free to share in the comments any resources you have found, or ideas of rich tasks that you think could be beneficial to bring into the math classrooms. It is so important to keep students engaged and challenged with math and all other subjects. As educators we are helping their brains grow, develop and succeed. 

Thank you,

Emily